Administrators called in to Whiteleys garden centre in Mirfield

BUSINESS AS USUAL: Whiteleys Garden Centre will continue to trade while administrators from Begbies Traynor look for a buyer.

Administrators have been called in to a long-established garden centre.

Begbies Traynor were appointed on Wednesday as administrators to Whiteleys, which is owned by Pippin Street Limited.

A buyer is now being sought for the business in Leeds Road, Mirfield, by joint administrators Julian Pitts, Bob Maxwell and Andrew Dick.

Whiteleys has been in business for more than 25 years and won prizes at this year’s Garden Centre Association Awards.

Its annual turnover is estimated to be more than £2m and assets for sale include its freehold site and stock.

There are no plans to make any of its 45 full and part-time staff redundant.

Mr Pitts said: “This is a well-established and viable business which has suffered from financial pressures that are not related to its day-to-day operations.

“We are continuing to trade the business and the garden centre will be running as usual while a buyer is sought.

“We want to reassure customers that the garden centre will be open as normal during the busy Christmas period and its full schedule of festive events will go ahead as planned.”

Whiteleys has raised thousands of pounds for charity, working closely with its neighbours at the Hollybank Trust.

Each Christmas the business has donated money raised from netting Christmas trees to the Trust, which cares for children and adults with complex disabilities.

A listing in the London Gazette – where all official company law notifications are published – showed that there was a change of directors at Pippin Road Limited, which trades at Whiteleys Garden Centre, on October 24.

Mr Pitts said: “This is a long established business with a loyal customer base and represents an excellent investment opportunity. We expect it to generate a high level of interest which we anticipate will result in securing a future for one of the area’s most popular garden centres.”